Social Emotional Development
Early childhood is the time when children make remarkable growth in the development of their self, emotional maturity, moral understanding, and gender awareness.The development of social-emotion is important to children's growth because it helps them to express ideas, feelings, manage their emotions, fell self confident and have empathy towards others. During this time not only do family relationships influence children, but also peer relationships.
The Self
During early childhood children expand their thoughts of self and others. Young children start to describe their self in terms of material characteristics, body attributes, and physical activities. When children describe themselves it is often in unrealistic positive ways. Examples: I am always nice. I am a girl and have brown hair. I am the best soccer player. Also during this time make much advancement in understanding others. As with describing themselves they will describe others in physical attributes as well. For an example a child might say "Brian is a boy and he has brown hair." Children in this stage of development learn perspective taking, meaning children learn to assume the perspective of others and understand their thoughts and feelings. When children are learning perspective taking they are also learning that people don't always give accurate information on their beliefs. This means that children will be skeptical of what others are saying when the child knows the person is saying it to obtain something or to avoid trouble. |
Strategies:
1) Limit television and video games to 1 or 2 hours of quality programming a day to prevent the child from becoming a passive learner and prevent learning negative influences such as aggression, violence and altered states of rational thought. 2) Children should have connections to peers through friend groups or school and be given time to play. Encourage your child to take part in peer activities such as working in a group at school or playing a sport. 3) Support your child's emotional development by having open communication and being supportive. |
Emotional and Moral Development
During this time frame children experience more emotions and their understanding of emotions expands. It is during this time that children experience pride, shame, embarrassment, and guilt. Along with experiencing emotions children also gain a better understanding of emotions. This means that children learn that people can show different emotions to the same evident and the causes and consequences of feelings. At this age children are still struggling to control their impulses and this includes their emotions. In learning to regulate their own emotions a child's parent plays a big role. There are two types of parenting styles that effect how a child learns to regulate. The first style is called emotion-coaching, this is when parents monitor their child's emotions and views the child's negative emotions as opportunities for teaching and assist the child in labeling the emotions and coach the child in hoe to deal effectively. The second style is called emotion dismissing. This style is when parents deny, and ignore the child's behavior and does not provide help in understanding emotions. |
Five Steps to emotion-coaching
Step 1: Be aware of yours and your child's emotions. * Understand that emotions are a natural part of life. *Listen, observe and learn how your child expresses emotions. Step 2: Use emotional moments as an opportunity to connect and learn. *Try not to avoid or dismiss your child's emotions *See these times as an opportunity for teaching. Step 3: Take the time to listen carefully to your child *Avoid criticizing and judging your child's emotions. *Show that you understand what he/she is feeling. Step 4: Help your child to identify and name the emotions *Set an example by naming out own emotions and talking about them. *Identify the emotions instead of telling your child how they should feel. Step 5: Explore solutions together *Help the child to think through possible solutions. *Do chores together. *Be aware of tempting situations and be prepares to help your child through them. |
Moral development is the development of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors regarding rules about what people should do in their interactions with others. Moral development is dictated by the society you live in. During this period of development the child will learn empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, and perspective taking, discerning emotional states of others.
Piaget, a Swiss developmental psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development, believed children went through stages of moral development. The first stage is heteronomous morality. This occurs from approximately at 4 to 7 years of age. This is where children see justice and rules as unchangeable properties of the world. An example of this is that children of this age group believe that breaking 12 cups accidentally is worse than breaking one cup intentionally. Stage two is autonomous morality and occurs at about 10 years of age and older. This is when children are aware that rules and laws are created by people and that in judging an action, one should consider the person's intentions as well as the consequences.
Piaget, a Swiss developmental psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development, believed children went through stages of moral development. The first stage is heteronomous morality. This occurs from approximately at 4 to 7 years of age. This is where children see justice and rules as unchangeable properties of the world. An example of this is that children of this age group believe that breaking 12 cups accidentally is worse than breaking one cup intentionally. Stage two is autonomous morality and occurs at about 10 years of age and older. This is when children are aware that rules and laws are created by people and that in judging an action, one should consider the person's intentions as well as the consequences.
Parents and Peers
Parents or care givers are important to a child's development. They provide the ground work for temperament, habits, and provide examples of proper social interaction. According to Baumrind, a clinical and developmental psychologist, there are four types of parenting styles. They are authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and indulgent. Authoritarian parenting is when the parents place firm limits and controls on the child and allows very little verbal exchange. The authoritative parenting is when parents encourage their children to be independent, but still places limits and controls on the child's actions. There is also extensive verbal give-and-take between the parents and the children. Neglectful parenting is when parents are very uninvolved in the child's life. Indulgent parenting is when parents are highly involved in the child's life and place few limits and controls on the children.
Parents or care givers are important to a child's development. They provide the ground work for temperament, habits, and provide examples of proper social interaction. According to Baumrind, a clinical and developmental psychologist, there are four types of parenting styles. They are authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and indulgent. Authoritarian parenting is when the parents place firm limits and controls on the child and allows very little verbal exchange. The authoritative parenting is when parents encourage their children to be independent, but still places limits and controls on the child's actions. There is also extensive verbal give-and-take between the parents and the children. Neglectful parenting is when parents are very uninvolved in the child's life. Indulgent parenting is when parents are highly involved in the child's life and place few limits and controls on the children.
Today's world is changing and so are families. In today's society you have single parents, same sex partners, bi-racial parents, and both parents working just to name a few. Each situation has its own pros and cons.
One of the hardest family situations is when the parents divorce. Children from these families have more externalized problems, are less socially responsible, and have a higher risk of dropping out of school alcohol/drug abuse and delinquent behavior. In these situations it is a good idea for the parents to sit down and talk with the children. Parents should explain the situation, say that it will take time to feel better and make sure the child knows they can talk to the parents whenever about the situation. |
Peers become more important in a child's life during early childhood. Peer provide a source of comparison and information about the world outside of the home. Peers help children evaluate their abilities by providing feedback on what the child can do as good as, better or worse then others. As children interact with their peers they participate in positive and negative social experiences that help them learn social norms.
Play
Play is essential to young children's development. Some ways that play is important are that it helps the child's cognitive development. According to Piaget play advances cognitive development by permitting the child to practice their competencies and skills in a pleasurable, relaxed way. Vygotky, the theorist that developed Zone of Proximal Development, built upon Piaget's idea saying that imaginary play helped cognitive development. Imaginary play is when make-believe, story telling, and using items in non-conventional ways. Other theorists thought that play helps children master anxieties and conflicts by releasing tension and working off extra physical energy.
There are several types of play children can take part in. They are listed below:
Play is essential to young children's development. Some ways that play is important are that it helps the child's cognitive development. According to Piaget play advances cognitive development by permitting the child to practice their competencies and skills in a pleasurable, relaxed way. Vygotky, the theorist that developed Zone of Proximal Development, built upon Piaget's idea saying that imaginary play helped cognitive development. Imaginary play is when make-believe, story telling, and using items in non-conventional ways. Other theorists thought that play helps children master anxieties and conflicts by releasing tension and working off extra physical energy.
There are several types of play children can take part in. They are listed below:
- Sensorimotor: This stage is during infancy and is when infants derive pleasure from exercising their sensorimotor schemes.
- Practice: Repetition of behavior when new skills are being learned.
- Pretense/Symbolic: Occurs when the child transforms physical environment into a symbol. (When a child uses a hairbrush as a microphone)
- Social: Involves social interaction with peers.
- Constructive: Self-regulated creations or solutions.
- Games: Activities engaged in for pleasure; include rules.
Television
In the second half of the 20th century the television has had the greatest impact. The television has the most influence on children then any other mass media. Studies have shown that children watch an average of 2 to 4 hours of T.V. a da, in many cases children are spending more time watching T.V. than with their parents. Television can have both negative and positive influences on children.
Positive:
*Educational programs (Sesame Street, Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood, Nature shows)
* Increasing their world beyond their immediate environment
*Providing models of pro-social behavior.
Negative:
*Passive learners
*Distracting from doing homework
*Teaching sterotypes
*Increases sleep problems
*Aggressive behavior (exposed to violence, aggression, models of poor social behavior)
*Obesity (not being active, binge eating, commercials about food)
KidsHealth.org has a great article about television and children. It breaks down t.v. ratings, lists good t.v. behavior and more. http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html#
In the second half of the 20th century the television has had the greatest impact. The television has the most influence on children then any other mass media. Studies have shown that children watch an average of 2 to 4 hours of T.V. a da, in many cases children are spending more time watching T.V. than with their parents. Television can have both negative and positive influences on children.
Positive:
*Educational programs (Sesame Street, Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood, Nature shows)
* Increasing their world beyond their immediate environment
*Providing models of pro-social behavior.
Negative:
*Passive learners
*Distracting from doing homework
*Teaching sterotypes
*Increases sleep problems
*Aggressive behavior (exposed to violence, aggression, models of poor social behavior)
*Obesity (not being active, binge eating, commercials about food)
KidsHealth.org has a great article about television and children. It breaks down t.v. ratings, lists good t.v. behavior and more. http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html#